INVESTIGATION
Summary of Remarks:
& PROSECUTION OF METHAMPHETAMlNE MANUFACTURE
by Jeffrey M. Ferguson, Deputy District Attorney,
Major Narcotic Vendor Program
Narcotics Enforcement Team
Orange County District Attorney's Office
Presented at the 38th Annual International Drug Conference,
Orlando, Florida, August 20,1997
T
he illicit manufacture, distribution, and level of
abuse of methamphetamine now rivals that of
cocaine in our communities on the west coast.
"Meth's" spread throughout the United States, possibly over-taking
cocaine, may not be far behind.
For decades, methamphetamine was a "low-rent"
"blue-collar" drug that did not gain wide appeal among ac-tive
drug users.
Its manufacture, distribution, and use was confined in
large measure to outlaw motorcycle gangs, whose "cooks"
would deliver five to ten pounds of product at a time, using
then easily-obtained chemical precursors such as phenyl-2-
propanone (P-2-P).
For many years the P-2-P method was the preferred
technique for making methamphetamine. In response , the
Congress and several state legislatures imposed rigid con-trols
on P-2-P and chemicals associated with P-2-P manu-facturing
techniques. This greatly impacted P-2-P manufac-turing
labs, but in turn contributed to the notorious "Law of
Unintended Consequences:" two new, and better precursors
for methamphetamine manufacture surfaced -pseudoephedrine
and ephedrine.
At the same time, there were major changes in the way
narcotics were being imported and distributed in the United
States.
Throughout the 1980's, the federal "Drug War" put
terrific law-enforcement pressure on the major cocaine-smuggling
routes from South America into the United States:
the Florida Corridor. As the pressure built, the Medellin and
Cali cartels sought arrangements with small Mexican drug
cartels who had been smuggling heroin and marijuana into
the United States for decades through California, Arizona
and Texas. These relationships took on many varied and fluid
forms. Initially Mexicans were hired by the Colombian car-
tels to merely guarantee overland transport through the
Mexican mainland and over the border into the United States.
This arrangement proved remarkably profitable for the Mexi-can
smuggling cartels. The Mexican cartels grew in power,
influence and wealth. Eventually the Colombians sold loads
of cocaine outright to the Mexican cartels, and repurchased
loads within the United States to fill Colombian networks
as required.
Of course the Mexican cartels already ran heroin and
marijuana distribution networks inside the U.S. And they
supplanted that with a percentage of the cocaine they were
now importing at the behest of the Colombians.
It soon occurred to the Mexican Cartels - if they had
a drug they could make themselves, that they didn't have to
buy from the Colombians or anyone else, that they could
put into their existing drug pipelines, the profits would be
staggering. That drug was methamphetamine.
Pharmaceutical grade ephedrine, an ideal "meth" pre-cursor,
was readily available in Mexico, being imported from
Germany. And the U.S. laws and restrictions on ephedrine
were slight in the beginning. Indeed, it would be safer to
smuggle ephedrine north over the U.S. - Mexico border, and
have Mexican "cooks" actually make the "meth" in the
United States. And so began a new, virulent drug manufac-turing
enterprise in California and Texas, operated by Mexi-can
nationals.
Mexican nationals discovered another easily available
precursor, pseudoephedrine, being marketed by several
American companies in the mid-east as an "energy pill" or
"diet drug."
Although pseudoephedrine is not the same as ephe-drine,
both chemicals share a molecular structure that is ideal
for making methamphetamine.

 

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continues
Using both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, Mexi-can
cartels have put together clandestine methamphetamine
manufacturing labs producing 30 to 50 to 70 pounds of
methamphetamine at a time - which far overwhelms the
outlaw biker gang lab's ten pounds or so.
Mexican Cartels
There are six major Mexican Criminal Cartels actively
involved in drug smuggling and methamphetamine manu-facture.
These primary criminal organizations depend upon
Sindicatos Familias, who operate as informal, fluid, service
organizations, changing their staff and allegiances as they
see fit. It is very difficult to track these "family" cadres,
since they shift alliances frequently, don't depend on rigid
command structure, and operate in a very entrepreneurial
fashion.
by his brothers Luis Ignacio Amezcua-Contreras
and Adan Amezcua-Contreras.
THE JUAREZ CARTEL -operates into Texas and
New Mexico from Juarez, and into Arizona from
Hermosillo. It was led by Amado Carillo Fuentes
until his death during surgery in 1997. Since his
death there have been several murders in Juarez,
believed to be related to the power struggle to con-trol
the Juarez Cartel.The cartel maintained a close
relationship with the Amezcua brothers. and is
believed to be responsible for over 650 pounds of
methamphetamine seized in Las Cruces, New
Mexico in February 1995. This cartel is still by
far the wealthiest, most influential single criminal
group in Mexico.
THE SONORA CARTEL-widespread criminal or-ganization,
headquartered in Caborca and
Hermosillo, but operating from Agua Prieto,
Culiacan, Guadalajara, Hermosillo and the Mexi-can
states of San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa and Sonora.
A dangerous and violent cartel, running drugs into
Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Led by
Miguel Caro Quintero, who assumed control after
his brother Rafael Caro Quintero, who was respon-sible
for the murder of U.S. D.E.A. agent Kiki
Camareno, was imprisoned in 1985. Miguel is as-sisted
by his brothers Jorge Caro-Quintero and
Genaro Caro-Quintero, and his sister Maria Del
Carmen Caro Quintero.
THE GULF CARTEL -heavily involved in marijuana,
cocaine and heroin smuggling, it is believed to be
entering methamphetamine distribution. Its former
leader Juan Garcia Abrego is in custody in Mexico,
and successors are now vying for position. This
makes for a very fluid, and therefore dangerous,
power shift.
The Key Mexican Cartels are:
THE AMECZUA BROTHERS- headquartered in unrivalled in recent memory. The leadership -Guadalajara,
the cartel runs perhaps the largest ephe- and prosperity - of La Federacion probably de-drine
trafficking and methamphetamine production pends heavily on the Felix-Arellano Cartel.
operation in North America, operating along the THE ARRELANO-FELIX AXIS - Four brothers oper-entire
U.S.-Mexican border. The cartel maintains ate a vicious drug enterprise from Tijuana into
meth labs in Tijuana and throughout California. California and Arizona. They also operate widely
Jesus Amezcua-Conueras heads the group, assisted throughout the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Jalisco,
LA FEDERACION -A shady, "Board of Directors" of
major Mexican drug cartels, similar to the "Com-mission"
of the Italian La Cosa Nostra. Originally
the Guadalajara Cartel run by Rafael Caro Quintero
and Miguel Felix Gallardo in the 1980' s, they were
among the first Mexican criminal organizations to
work closely with the Colombiancartels. Recently,
Amado Carillo Fuentes of the Juarez Cartel has been
the dominant drug-lord in La Federacion, since the
incarceration of Chapo Guzman and Hector Salazar
in Mexico. However, the Felix-Arellano brothers,
who are nephews of Miguel Felix Gallardo, seek
a major position in La Federacion. These broth-ers
have demonstrated a capacity for violence
18 THE NARCOFFICER l January/February 1998

 

Michoacan, Chiapas, Baja California and Baja Cali-fornia
Sur. They are Benjamin, Eduardo, Francisco
and Ramon. There is substantial intelligence link-ing
this group to over 25 drug murders in the United
States alone, and scores of homicides in Mexico.
They maintain a close relationship with Latino street
gangs in San Diego, and are believed to have funded
a still open contract for the murder of a police of-ficer
- any police officer - in San Diego County.
Such a homicide would buttress their reputation
as a ruthless gang beyond the law.
The Asian Connection
Asian involvement in methamphetamine distribution
is primarily concerned with the conversion of methamphet-amine
powder into a more potent, smokable form com-monly
known as "ice." Ice is consumed much like "crack"
cocaine, with a similar but greatly heightened "rush." Asian
gangs typically purchase methamphetamine from Mexican
producers, and then convert it to Ice, increasing its street
value five to ten times.
Ice is created by dissolving methamphetamine into
water, alcohol, acetone, methanol or some mixture of those
solvents. The water, alcohol, or acetone are heated in or-der
to supersaturate the solution with methamphetamine.
Removed from heat and allowed to cool, the methamphet-amine
begins to form large, translucent crystals that re-semble
rock candy. These crystals are exceptionally pure
methamphetamine suitable for smoking. Intelligence info
suggested that the size of the crystals could be controlled
by the percentages of water to alcohol in the solvent.
Until recently, distribution and abuse of Ice had been
confined to Hawaii. However, investigations uncovered a
sophisticated group of Philippine nationals manufacturing
Ice and shipping it to New Jersey for distribution along
the eastern seaboard. Nine conspirators were arrested in
Orange County in that case, which allegedly shut down
the Ice pipeline for three months until another group of
Filipino "cooks" resumed the operation.
Mexican Ice
Unfortunately recent wide-ranging investigations in
Los Angeles and Orange County have exposed Mexican
Cartel entry in the "Ice-making" business, resulting in the
seizure of the single, largest Ice manufacturing operation
on the United States mainland, and the confiscation of 100
pounds of Ice product.
Meth Lab Investigations
Narcotics investigators should be familiar with, and
alert to, the chemicals that are used in the manufacture of
methamphetamine. The current method of choice involves
Ephedrine or Pseudoephedrine as precursors.
There are three types of "labs" or processes investiga-tors
are likely to encounter: Extraction labs, Synthesis labs,
and Conversion labs (sometimes called Reconstituting labs).
Extraction Labs
Pharmaceutical grade ephedrine is found as a white
powder, usually shipped in 55-pound metal or plastics dans
or "buckets." These tins are usually 12 inches in diameter
and 18 inches tall, and should NOT be confused with 55-
gallon drums which are much larger. Ephedrine is used di-rectly
in the methamphetamine process.
Pseudoephedrine, on the other hand, is most often
shipped in tablet form. As tablets, pseudoephedrine is not
especially suitable for direct methamphetamine manufac-ture,
and Mexican nationals operate Extraction Labs to sepa-rate
the pseudoephedrine from the tablet binder impurities
before starting methamphetamine synthesis.
Pseudoephedrine tablets are crushed and dissolved in
water or alcohol or acetone. No heat is required. The
pseudoephedrine dissolves into solution, and the binder col-lects
as wet sludge in the bottom of the flask or jar. Typi-cally
the solution is strained through sheets, muslin, or cham-ois
to remove as much binder before the next stage. The
remaining liquid is allowed to evaporate, with or without
the application of heat, leaving behind the powdered
pseudoephedrine.
Preferred extraction apparatus includes plastic garbage
cans and plastic mop buckets.
Investigators will often find mop buckets, plastic trash
cans, several cans of acetone or isopropyl alcohol, stained
bedsheets, and discarded binder sludge at such extraction
sites.
Once dried, the pseudoephedrine is then used exactly
as is ephedrine to synthesize methamphetamine.
Synthesis Labs
The synthesis of methamphetamine can, and has, taken
many forms, limited only by the ingenuity of criminal
"chemists" or "cooks." For years P-2-P precursor-technique
was most often encountered by law enforcement. Today,
techniques using ephedrine or pseudoephedrine as the es-sential
precursor predominates.
Red Phosphorus Path
The most popular method is the RED PHOSPHORUS
path. Basically, this involves mixing the ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine with hydriodic acid and red phosphorus
as the first step. After six to eight hours, the remaining liq-uid
is vacuum filtered. The resulting solution is made basic
by the addition of sodium hydroxide (in pellet form, or as
Continued. . . . .

 

METHw=W& . continues
METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURE (RED PHOSPHORUS)
Pseudoephedrine Powder
Ephedri$ Powder
Reddish Colored METHAMPHETAMINE dissolved in acid I
METHAMPHETAMINE dissolved in acid without solid impurities I
71
Crude solid . METHAMPHETAMINE I
I
Leftover Pill binders I
lye, etc.) This creates a very exothermic reaction, and cooks
often flood the mixture with bags of ice. Freon is added, the
mixture is shaken, and allowed to sit. The solution sepa-rates
into a freon layer and an aqueous or water layer.
Hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled through the freon layer,
yielding white crystals of methamphetamine. (See accom-panying
chart on this page.) Investigators will typically
encounter the more conventional and recognizable lab
setup: glass flasks, heating devices, condensing tubes,
rubber or plastic tubing, filters and filter papers, vacuum
pumps, funnels, and of course jars and/or cans actually
labeled as Red Phosphorus or Iodine, etc. Commercial
grade gas cylinders containing hydrogen chloride gas are
not unusual. Cans of Freon refrigerant or Tri-chloro-eth-ylene
are often found at lab sites since these chemicals
are used as solvents in the manufacturing process.
Hydrogenation Path
An alternative method is LOW PRESSURE HYDRO-GENATION.
This procedure is encountered much more
rarely, but turns up from time to time. Here, ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine is mixed with thionyl chloride and chloro-
form. After waiting two hours or so, liquid ethyl ether is
poured into the solution, yielding solid chlorephedrine,
which is collected by vacuum filtration. This is then mixed
with alcohol and a catalyst, Palladium Black or Platinum
powder. The mixture is poured into a pressure chamber, and
hydrogen gas is added to 40-60 psi. As the hydrogen gas
reacts with the mixture, the pressure is observed to drop.
Hydrogen is periodically added until the pressure remains
constant. The liquid is poured out and vacuum filtered; the
solid is discarded and the liquid saved. Evaporation leaves
behind the methamphetamine.
Reactive Metal ("Nazi") Method
The "Nazi Method" is so named because it is based
on a German technique to rapidly manufacture metham-phetamine
to supply Nazi shock troops during World War
II. The original patent used lithium metal in the process,
though American "cooks" have substituted sodium or
potassium metal. Basically ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
is dissolved in alcohol, and added to a solution of anhy-Continued
on page 22.....

 

METH~II~.JLIIIII~continues
METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURE (HYDROGENATION)
'I
Pseu:;; et;drlne P I I
Dissolved by
. PIUS H2f,,,;ocgw
1 I I
3.
Chloroephedrine or
Chloropseudoephedrine
as solid precipitate 1 p/us 1 Alcohol 1 p/us ) ;;;;x;;,",: 1 p/us ) ut-%$~$o (
I I
0
into
I I 1 I I I
H Y D R D G E N A T O R
Place mixture into chamber and add hydrogen
gas until the pressure reaches 40 to 60 PSI.
As pressure drops, add hydrogen until no
pressure drop is seen. Conversion is complete.
4, ( Hydrogenated Mixture 1 + m /l/inuS II
I 1 I I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURE (REACTIVE METAL)
aka THE "NAZI" METHOD
I Ephedrine Powder I
Solid
Metal-Methamphetamine
Complex I
does not use methanol. instead several
small chunks of the reactive metal are
dropped directly into the dry ephedrine or
pseudoephedrine powder, which is then
immersed in liquid ammonia and stirred.

 

METH~WrIW~ . CONCLUDED
drous ammonia and reactive metal. Water and ethyl ether
are added as catalyst/solvents. Hydrogen Chloride Gas is
then bubbled through the ether solution to produce meth-amphetamine.
This method is very fast, taking as little as
two hours, and results in especially clean methamphet-amine.
It is also a particularly dangerous process, since
reactive metals are explosive when exposed to water, and
anhydrous ammonia is violently corrosive to lung tissue.
Con version/Reconstituting Labs
Once methamphetamine is made, it may be washed
with acetone to remove impurities and bring its finished
color from shades of orange to yellow to white. Ulti-mately,
the meth may be crystallized into the smokable
form known as "ice."
Investigators can expect to find several cans of ac-etone
or alcohol, hot plates and glass or plastic jars used
for the crystallization process. This process is covered in
more detail under "Asian Connection" above.
The street slang for meth is varied and deceptive.
"Crystal" is generally white, purified meth, but does not
typically refer to "Ice." Other known street names for
"Ice" include "quartz," "glass," "crack meth," "ice
cream," as well as the Japanese word "Shabu," the Ko-rean
words "Kaksonjae" and "Hiropan," and the Filipino
word "Batu."
Documented wholesale prices for "Ice" in Hawaii
last year were $40,000 per pound, a substantial jump over
per-pound prices for powdered meth!
Chdestine Lab Safety Concerns
In general, the chemicals that are used to manufac-ture
methamphetamine are highly toxic, highly reactive,
often explosive, and therefore very dangerous.
Red Phosphorus will spontaneously ignite when ex-posed
to moisture, burning and exploding dramatically.
When Red Phosphorus boils dry in a flask, it will pro-duce
Phosphene gas which is fatal when inhaled.
Hydriodic Acid is violently corrosive. Lye is also
used in the ephedrine process, and it too is highly corro-sive.
Freon is a frequently encountered solvent, which
forms Phosgene gas when exposed to open flames, which
is a fatal gas used in World War I.
Lithium, Potassium and sodium metals, used in the
"Nazi" process, will immediately ignite when directly ex-posed
to moisture.
Generally speaking Extraction and Reconstituting
labs are not as toxic or dangerous as synthesis labs. How-ever
both often involve the exposure of alcohol and/or
acetone to heat sources, which can trigger a flash blast
and fire.
In short, a clandestine methamphetamine manufac-turing
lab is an extremely dangerous crime scene. Always
approach with extreme caution, and call out investiga-tors
specially trained in dismantling such labs. Unless you
are part of a special lab team, you should seal off the
area, touch nothing and call for help.
S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E T E A M O F
PEOPLE WITH PRIDE
A T
14000 SAN BERNARDINO AVENUE
F O N T A N A, CALIFORNIA 92335
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